Toy hoop stick



March 10, 1964 G. A. PACE 3,123,937

TOY HOOP STICK Filed March 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

\ in, j/ BY GENERAL A. PACE G. A. PACE March 10, 1964 TOY HOOP STICKFiled March 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

GENERAL A. PACE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,123,937 TOY HOOP STICKGeneral A. iace, 3401 Loganviiie Drive, Baltimore, Md,

assignor of fifty percent to Robert J. Dougherty, Towsou Md.

3 Filed Mar. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 182,408

Claims. (Cl. 4622ti) This invention relates generally to toys, and moreparticularly it pertains to improvements in hoop sticks for rollinghoops.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a telescopic hoopstick mainly for the purpose of easy adjustment to the arm length of anoperator.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a telescopic hoopstick for rolling hoops in which space is conserved in the shipping andstocking of a so-shortened hoop stick. A safety feature is gained sincea hoop stick capable of being shortened under a strong end thrust isless likely to injure a falling child.

Another object of this invention is to provide a telescopic hoop stickwhich has launching and guiding provisions for a hoop.

And another object of this invention is to provide a storage receptaclearrangement for a hoop on a hoop stick.

The provision of an easily and economically manufactured hoop rollingtoy of modern materials, is yet another object of this invention.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will becomemore readily apparent and understood from the following detailedspecification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an improved telescopic hoop stickaccording to this invention and showing the hoop in stored position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of a hoop;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the hoop taken on line 33 of PEG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation on reduced scale of the hoop stick showingthe hoop poised for launching thereon;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the top of the telescopic hoop stick assembly;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section of the hoop stick taken on line 6-6 ofFIG. 5, and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 77 of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, there is shown depicted inFIG. 1 a telescopic hoop stick assembly Iltl incorporating features ofthis invention. This hoop stick assembly 10 consists of a pair ofcooperating elongated upper and lower handles 12 and 14. The upper endof the upper handle 12 is provided with an angled corrugated grip 16. Anupwardly curved rim head 18 is fastened at its center to the lower endof the lower handle 14.

The top faces of the handles 12 and 14 are each formed lengthwise with aconcavity 20. The top or inside of the curved rim head 18 is shaped withanother concavity 22.

The upper handle 12 telescopically receives the lower handle 14 in anelognated hollow 24 of disc shaped cross section. A slot 26 in the lowerface of upper handle 12 communicates with the hollow 24 as best shown inFIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

A resilient detent finger 28 is fastened to the upper handle 12 andextends into the slot 26 where it bears against the under face of lowerhandle 14. Here an area of the lower handle 14 is provided with aplurality of spaced transverse detent grooves 30. Thus, the hoop stickassembly 10 may be lengthened or shortened by merely pushing or pullingthe upper and lower handles 12 and 14 with respect to each other andresilient detent finger 28 retains this adjustment.

The hoop 32, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, like the hoop stick assembly 10, ispreferably made of acrylic plastic. A pair of retaining hooks 34, one oneach handle 12, 14, are provided for storing hoop 32 when not in use asshown in FIG. 1. The hoop 32 is released for use by retracting the lowerhandle 14 within the upper handle 12 sufliciently for the hooks 34- todisengage.

As shown in FIG. 4 to operate the hoop stick 10, the lower handle 14 iswithdrawn from upper handle 12 to a degree of adjustment suited to thearm length of the operator so that rim head 18 is about two to threeinches from the ground. The grip 16 is then grasped by one hand and theother hand is used to take the hoop and place it upright in theconcavity 20 next to grip 16. The hoop 32 is then released, allowing itto roll down the concavities 20 of upper and lower handles 12 and 14 insequence and be launched along the ground as shown by the dotted lines.

it requires only a slight wrist movement on grip 16 to steer thelaunching or guide the hoop 32 after it is rolling along the ground. Anoccasional push with the rim head 18, keeps the hoop 32 in motion. Torecover a rolling hoop 32, it is necessary only to capture it with oneend of the rim head 18. The operator can walk, run, skip and hop, orroller skate as he maneuvers the hoop 32 with the hoop stick 10.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in light of the above teach ings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A telescopic hoop stick, comprising, a pair of telescoping andcooperating elongated shaped upper and lower handles, said lower handlehaving its upper end provided with a plurality of spaced grooves in itsunder face, the upper handle being provided with an angled corrugatedgrip at its upper end, resilient latch means secured to said upperhandle and selectively engageable in any one of said spaced grooves insaid lower handle for selectively engaging and holding said upper andlower handles in fixed telescopic relationship with respect to eachother, the top faces of said upper and lower handles each being formedlengthwise with a concavity forming a continuous track for a hoop, andan upwardly curved rim head secured to the lower end of said lowerhandle and shaped with a concavity lengthwise in the upper face thereoffor rolling and guiding said hoop.

2. A telescopic hoop stick, comprising, a pair of cooperating elongatedshaped upper and lower handles, the upper handle being provided with anelongated shaped hollow in its lower end, said lower handle having itsupper end provided with a plurality of spaced grooves on its under face,and being receivable in said hollow of said upper handle, said upperhandle having a slot provided in its under face in communication withsaid hollow therein, resilient latch means secured to said upper handleand extending through said slot therein to selectively engage in any oneof said spaced grooves in said lower handle to hold said upper and lowerhandles in fixed telescopic relationship with respect to each other, thetop faces of said upper and lower handles each being formed lengthwisewith a concavity forming a continuous track for a hoop, and an upwardlycurved rim head for guiding said hoop secured to the lower end of saidlower handle and formed with a lengthwise concavity in the upper facethereof for rolling and guiding said hoop.

3. A telescopic hoop stick, comprising, a pair of cooperating elongatedshaped upper and lower handles, the

upper handle being provided with an angled grip at its upper end and anelongated shaped hollow in its opposite end, said lower handle havingits upper end provided with a plurality of spaced serrations on itsunder face, said upper end of said lower handle being receivable in saidhollow of said upper handle, said upper handle having a slot provided inits under face in communication With said hollow therein, resilientmeans secured to said upper handle and extending through said slottherein to selectively engage any one of said spaced serrations in saidlower handle to hold said, upper and lower handles in fixed telescopicrelationship with respect to each other, the top faces of said upper andlower handles being formed with a continuous track for a hoop, and anupwardly curved rim head for guiding said hoop secured to the lower endof said lower handle and shaped with a concavity in the upper facethereof for rolling and guiding said hoop. v

4-. A telescopic hoop stick, comprising, a pair of cooperating elongatedshaped upper and lower handles, the upper handle being provided with anangled corrugated grip at its upper end and an elongated hollow in itsopposite end, said lower handle having its upper end provided with aplurality of spaced transverse detent grooves on its under face, saidupper end of said lower handle being receivable in said hollow of saidupper handle, said upper handle having a slot provided in its under facein communication with said hollow therein, resilient detent meanssecured to said upper handle and extending through said slot therein toselectively engage said spaced transverse detent grooves in said lowerhandle to hold said upper and lower handles in fixed telescopicrelationship with respect to each other, the top faces of said upper andlower handles each being formed lengthwise with a concavity forming acontinuous track for a hoop, and an upwardly curved rim head for guidingsaid hoop secured at its center to the lower end of said lower handleand shaped with a concavity lengthwise in the upper face thereof forrolling and guiding said hoop.

5. A telescopic hoop stick, comprising, a pair of cooperating elongatedshaped upper and lower handles, the upper handle being provided with anangled corrugated grip at its upper end and an elongated hollow in itsopposite end, said lower handle having its upper end provided with aplurality of spaced transverse detent grooves on its under face, saidupper end of said lower handle being receivable in said hollow of saidupper handle, said upper handle having a slot provided in its under facein communication with said hollow therein, resilient detent meanssecured to said upper handle and extending through said slot therein toselectively engage said spaced transverse detent grooves in said lowerhandle to hold said upper and lower handles in fixed telescopicrelationship with respect to each other, the top faces of said upper andlower handles each being formed lengthwise with a concavity forming acontinuous track for a hoop, an upwardly curved rim head for guidingsaid hoop secured at its center to the lower end of said lower handleand shaped with a concavity lengthwise in the upper face thereof forrolling and guiding said hoop, and retaining means on each upper andlower handle for storing said hoop when said stick is in an untelescopiccondition.

Whaley Dec. 14, 1920 Zileri et a1 Aug. 4, 1953

1. A TELESCOPIC HOOP STICK, COMPRISING, A PAIR OF TELESCOPING ANDCOOPERATING ELONGATED SHAPED UPPER AND LOWER HANDLES, SAID LOWER HANDLEHAVING ITS UPPER END PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED GROOVES IN ITSUNDER FACE, THE UPPER HANDLE BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ANGLED CORRUGATEDGRIP AT ITS UPPER END, RESILIENT LATCH MEANS SECURED TO SAID UPPERHANDLE AND SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE IN ANY ONE OF SAID SPACED GROOVES INSAID LOWER HANDLE FOR SELECTIVELY ENGAGING AND HOLDING SAID UPPER ANDLOWER HANDLES IN FIXED TELESCOPIC RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO EACHOTHER, THE TOP FACES OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER HANDLES EACH BEING FORMEDLENGTHWISE WITH A CONCAVITY FORMING A CONTINUOUS TRACK FOR A HOOP, ANDAN UPWARDLY CURVED RIM HEAD SECURED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID LOWERHANDLE AND SHAPED WITH A CONCAVITY LENGTHWISE IN THE UPPER FACE THEREOFFOR ROLLING AND GUIDING SAID HOOP.